Sunshine—Starlight
by Eternal White Rose
Summary: He drove to little Tonopah, Nevada, song lyrics blasting out the windows, intent on staying a week, only to meet a little rebel forced to stay there with an aunt.


_**Quick thing: Lots of cursing and a whole lot of time/zone skips. Do be warned.**_

* * *

**Sunshine—Starlight**

* * *

The wind blew through his already tousled blue hair, his eyes danced as he kept his eyes on the road, his fingers drumming against the steering wheel as song lyrics flowed freely through his lips and into the warm summer air. Kaito Shion, native of Japan, was finally taking his long awaited road trip through the United States. Currently, he was on his way from New Orleans, Louisiana, home of the blues, to somewhere around Dallas, Texas, already prepared to face the terrible heat that awaited him.

He was freshly turned twenty-one, and the first thing he wanted to do was not drink, but _drive_. Drive anywhere as long as it was far away from the hell he called home. So with the money he saved up over the years, he and some of his close buddies caught a plane to the US and settled in Concord, New Hampshire. Shortly after, Kaito bailed, leaving his friends and headed off on his own, to visit places he thought he'd never be able to see. To see sunsets and sunrises all over. To experience things he wouldn't otherwise.

His phone was somewhere lost in the trunk of his car, a 1975 silver sleeked camaro, of which he named Kara, and probably well turned off. It saved battery and didn't annoy him, especially when someone like Gakupo or Akaito might call. He didn't really know what else was in that trunk, he never really payed attention all too much to be honest, the only thing he cared about was that Kara was running and running _well_. The engine purred beautifully and the A.C (even though he didn't always use it, he still had a good feeling about it) was working perfectly.

He kept reminding himself—_it's the next right, the next right, the next right god fucking dammit you stupid shithead_—to turn for the right exits, but the music always distracted him and made him curse a little at his steering wheel. But he would always properly turn at the next right and wing it.

* * *

Len Kagamine was sixteen years old, almost a junior in high school, when his mother sent him to live the summer with his aunt in Tonopah, Nevada, or as he liked to call it, _the middle of fucking nowhere_. He happily enjoyed life in Richmond, Virginia, where there was actually _something to do_. To be shipped off to the other side of the country? If he wasn't always screwing shit up, then maybe he'd have a reason to disagree with his mother.

He never had any chores—they were always thrown onto his sister, Rin—and he did very well in school—compared to Rin, who rarely brought home a 'B'—so why did he (not Rin) have to be sent to Nevada if he never did anything bad! He was as clean as a slate, no drugs, or alcohol, nothing of the sort, and the only trouble he got into was because of Gumi! And sometimes—_very rarely_—Oliver. That kid was an angel sent straight from the Almighty himself.

Oh, and to top this all off, Len had a _major_ fear of planes. So standing in the airport, watching the monitor to see when he was supposed to be ready to board, already scared him shitless. If it wasn't for the fact that after he drank his iced tea he used the bathroom, he would've pissed himself by now. A shudder passed through him.

And when he finally _did _step foot on the airplane, he was as stiff as a board. He thought that the window seat would be perfect—"I'm just gonna say goodbye to Richmond and hello to Hellhole!"—but he could barely look out; and they hadn't even taken off.

Right after the first set of turbulence, however, he promptly fell asleep.

* * *

"Sir? Excuse me, sir?"

The blond slowly roused from his sleep to see a stewardess standing close by. "You missed the first hour already. There are only three left, would you like anything to drink?"

"A water?" Len carefully asked, rubbing his eyes. God he was tired. Was he really still in the plane? He looked out the window for a split second and noticed the white puffy clouds and lack of ground, before quickly turning back and taking a deep breath. Oh yeah, he was _still_ on the fucking plane. He closed his blue eyes, cracking them open when he heard a chuckle from across the aisle. "What?" he growled.

"First time flying?" aisle man asked.

"Uh, first time that'll stay in my memory," Len confessed. He had been aboard an airplane as a child, as an infant, actually, so he had no recollection of how he was like back then. "So, technically, no. But I'm still not used to it."

"I fly all the time." _Like I give a flying fuck, old man. _"You just have to remember that you're safer on a plane than in a car." The lady from before _finally _came back and handed Len his bottle of water. "Don't listen to whatever someone says about planes."

Even though the blond knew nothing about the aisle man, he still softly smiled, fiddling with the cap to his water. "Thanks." He turned to him. "Really, I feel a little better now."

Turbulence when landing was still a bitch though.

* * *

"_Fuck_!" He had missed yet another exit.

Kaito was originally going to just drive the forever road of nothingness to get to California, but then he decided that a road trip would really be better and let him think for a bit. He had to get away from the word, get _far, far, far _away from everything around him. Including the craziness that was his group of friends. It wasn't his fault that the only reason they came to America was to start a band. As much as that meant tours, he wouldn't like it. He wanted to be alone.

He turned the dial on the radio down a bit and focused on the road ahead of him. When he reached the next exit, he quickly turned and took it, ready to figure out how to get to whatever town he was heading for. Where was he going again? Dallas? Fuck if he knew anymore.

The minute he found a good hotel, he knew that he wasn't going to stay in Texas. He got his key, found his room, dropped his crap down, and took out a folded map. He looked at it to see where he would go next. For some reason, Nevada was calling him. Home of casino city, Las Vegas, but that was too flashy; he wouldn't be able to see the night sky or a pretty sunset like he really wanted to. Maybe something more...quiet...Tonopah? Kaito chuckled. What kind of fucking name was _Tonopah_? Either way, it seemed like a good place to stop.

He would pack up his things in the morning and start driving there.

* * *

"Oh Len!" Said blond could practically _feel _his entire stomach become a giant pile of mush as his aunt, Lily, hugged him tightly. "It's so good to see you again! Are you ready to spend some time at the motel?"

"_Motel_?" Len's jaw dropped. "I thought I was staying in a _house_, not some rotten old motel."

Lily's hand rushed to her mouth as she took a hold of one of his bags. "Anyway, you get the heavy stuff while I get the lighter things." God this kid had a way with words. A _rude _way, that is. Lily thought about how she was going to have to survive with living with this rebel of a kid for the entire two months of summer vacation, but she was sure that he was just going to sit in his room all day and never come out.

They got to her car, a small Ford pickup whose color Len couldn't identify, and piled everything into the back. It was already pretty late, and Len was starting to feel the effects of jet lag. All he wanted to do right now was fall onto a bed and lull himself off to sleep with his music. As if to further prove his point, from his mouth escaped a loud yawn. Next to him, Lily giggled. "Tired?"

"Fucking _exhausted_." He ignored the slap to the arm he received from his aunt. Apparently, cursing wasn't allowed, but he didn't really care. His head lolled to the side and he struggled to keep his eyes open. The blue orbs drifted over to the radio, checking the time display, having it glare back to him that it was about ten thirty at night. He didn't bother trying to figure out why it felt like twenty years had fucking passed when in actually, thanks to changing time zones, it's only been about one, but instead kept his eyes glued on the passing lights on the side of the road.

Remember how he had complained about going to the middle of nowhere? Well, he was freaking right. There were barely any buildings, only about one every five minutes. Was he really going to live without any civilization? He looked at Lily from the corner of his eye. How did she manage to hold business in the fucking graveyard of a city they were in? Where were the _people_? He groaned under his breath and prepared his mind for whatever fuckery this lady had in store for him.

* * *

"_Hell. No_."

"_Please_, Len, I'd really appreciate it if you'd help me."

"Absolutely not."

"And why not?"

Len pointed to the porcelain bowl. "Because I didn't come here to clean fucking _toilets_, Lily." He crossed his arms again. "I came here...why the hell _did_ I come here to begin with?"

"Because your mother thought that it would be a good idea to have a change of scenery. Those kids you hung out with in Richmond were a bad influence, Len."

The blond scoffed, "Oliver was a goddamn _saint_! It's all Gumi's fault." He clicked his tongue, regretting it when he saw Lily's face morph into one of recognition with the sound she heard.

"Were _they _the reason you pierced your tongue?"

Len clicked his barbell against his teeth once again. He thought that he would've gotten away with it and would have managed to hide it from his aunt. But, sadly, that wasn't the case. During his still-going-on rebel phase, Len's mother had given him some cash and said, "buy whatever you feel like". So he went to a piercer and asked to have the guy make a hole in his tongue. He went home, flashed his mom a quick, happy, toothy grin, and ran upstairs. She never found out.

...Unless Lily was one to snitch.

She held out a toilet brush, and Len snatched it out of her grasp. "No," he growled, blue eyes narrowing. "It was _my _idea."

He slammed the bathroom door shut behind him, and Lily flashed an all-knowing smile. "_Jesus Christ! _Who the fuck did_ that?!"_

* * *

'Mirror Motel' had three floors, with eight rooms on each floor and a main staircase right in the middle. Despite it being in a completely isolated area, a lot of people still came in and stayed for a night or two. Cleaning the place was a bitch, considering the size, but Len was glad that he managed to have his own room on the left wing of the first floor, right at the end of the hallway. It was small and cozy and in no way made him feel like he wasn't in Virginia.

If he wasn't cleaning bathrooms and shitty toilets—"Seriously, these people can fucking _try_ to take a _cleaner shit_ once in a while!"—than he was manning the main reception desk. It had only been days since his first night at the place, and he wasn't hating it anymore. He only hated the goddamn cleaning.

The door jingled and he looked up from his pamphlet, seeing a blue-haired man, who looked like a tired dog without any water, walked in. His ears were pierced, his eyes were an electric shade of cerulean, and Len could make out one musical note tattoo on his arm. "Welcome to 'Mirror Motel'. I suppose you _don't_ have a reservation?" Len asked, snapping a little.

"Well, _blondie_." _Shut the fuck up. _"I don't. I'm only planning on staying a week though. Think you can hit me up with a cool room?" he winked. An eastern accent coated his tongue. Len's heart skipped a beat.

"I think I can. I need your name though, first."

"Kaito."

Ah, a Japanese name. Being born from an American father and Japanese mother made everything hellish for Len, but it was nice knowing that there was someone from the same native country as one of his parents. Len nodded, clicking his tongue on purpose, watching the man's eyes widen in amusement. "Thank you." Len handed Kaito a key. "Your room is all the way down that hall, at the very end. Any problems, don't hesitate to call the front desk and someone will be there to service you."

"Thank you. One more thing?" Kaito placed his hand on Len's holding it in place, his room key in the middle, cold and hard compared to the warmth of skin. "Can I get your name?"

Len chuckled. "Len."

"_Ren_," Kaito repeated, his Japanese tongue mixing the 'l' and 'r' sounds, just like Len's own mother did sometimes. "Got it." He took his key, and left the receptionist desk, walking down the hallway, backpack slung over his shoulder.

Len waited until he was out of earshot. "Cocky motherfucker," he muttered, looking back at his pamphlet, jumping slightly when the shrill tone of the phone rang right next to him. He picked up the receiver, "Hello, 'Mirror Motel' reception desk, how may I help you?" he recited, just the way Lily had told him to.

"_What room are you in?"_

That unmistakable, deep, reverberating voice. "Why do you want to know, Kaito?"

"_Because I want to visit you. Now tell me?_"

"I don't even know you."

"_You don't have to know me. Just tell me what room._"

Len sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "02."

"_Oh! Cool! Right down the hall from me! Awesome. When does your shift end?"_

"Uh..." Len glanced over at the clock hanging on the wall. "In about an hour. Too fucking long if you ask me."

"_Can I visit you afterwards?_"

The blond was taken aback. This person didn't even know his last name—to be fair, Len didn't know Kaito's either—and he was asking him to _hang out_? Len wasn't even social back when he was at home. His mother _did_ send him across the country to change himself. "I guess," he eventually agreed, and he heard a faint '_yatta_!' from the other side of the building. He looked over in that direction before the voice in the phone brought him back to reality. "_So I'll be over later. See ya!_" The line went dead and Len set the phone down, burrowing his head into his hands.

Lily decided that it was the perfect time to be her perky self and walk up to the front desk. "Lenny! How's everything?"

"_Go the fuck away_."

* * *

"_Ren_."

"Fuck off."

"_Ren_."

"Go fuck yourself."

"Len."

"Suck a motherfucking cock, what the fucking hell do you want?!" Len shot up from his bed, meeting a pair of vibrant blue eyes. "Oh," he sighed, falling back onto his cusiony pillows. "It's just _you_." Kaito smiled in return.

He held out a small pamphlet, watching intently as Len opened one eye. "I noticed you were looking at one. And I want to hang out with you. So here. Take it." A hand shot out and grabbed it, burying it under his pillow. He would look at it later. The bed sunk down a little as Kaito sat down, folding his hands together. "Long day?"

"I don't know you."

"And I said that you didn't have to know me, Len."

This fucking _asshole_! Really, did he not get the hint that Len didn't want to hang out with him? Sure, he was gay, but that didn't mean that he had to have a random stranger keep going after him every time he turned his back. "Yeah. I've been fucking standing all fucking day."

The man next to him chuckled, and ignored the glare he got. "That's too bad. I thought that we could go see the sunset together."

"As I've said at least twenty times, I _don't know you_."

"And I'm saying this again." Kaito turned to face the teen, a warm smile curled up on his lips. "You don't need to know me. You just need to trust your gut."

"My gut says I need some sleep, and I intend on listening to it. My legs hurt. And why a _sunset_? What are you, a fucking pansy? Jesus..."

Kaito's smile faded as he stood up. "I don't plan on staying long. And you're intriguing. So I thought that I could hang out with you." He left Len alone, turned towards the window and away from the door, eyes wide in apprehension.

This guy...all he wanted to do was make a friend.

* * *

When Len woke up the next morning, another pamphlet lay next to him on his nightstand. He sat up, and reached under his pillow to take out the one Kaito had given him the day before. It was for stargazing...glancing over at the other one, it was for the same thing, just at a different place. So this person liked to watch the stars, did he? Or rather, he probably liked to watch anything that was in the sky. His alarm clock glared that it was just after six in the morning, the sun should be rising soon. And Lily wouldn't be awake, so he could just walk around in his boxers for a little while.

He stepped out of his room and headed straight upstairs, to get to the roof. There wasn't a key, and it was always unlocked, so anyone could get in. But he liked being alone during mornings like this one. He opened the door and stopped, mouth opening in awe as his eyes met with the back of Kaito's head. The man was only wearing a loose pair of jeans, and Len could finally see the crazy pattern of tattoos that littered his body. Musical notes, words, flames surrounded by ice. But what made everything all the more better was the rising sun that loomed behind him.

Len's breath caught in his throat, and he felt as though if he moved, he would give away his spot and get caught by the man. But Kaito was just fucking gorgeous; how could the blond not see it before? He wasn't necessarily ripped, but his muscles were still there, and his back was just covered in flawless skin that it would have to be a sin to even touch it! It was then that Len noticed he had a cell phone held to his ear. "_Iie_, Akaito."

_Akaito. His brother, probably, _Len thought. "I'm not going back to Concord," the blue-head said after a moment of silence. "I don't care if you want me back, or if Meiko wants me back, or whoever. I came to the US to see what it has to offer...no I'm not about to tell you where I am. I'm just going to say that it's very far from New Hampshire." Kaito turned around, locking eyes with Len, making the boy blush. "And right now, I happen to be putting on a show for someone I met."

A _show_? Did Kaito think that this was some kind of sick joke? The voice boomed through the speaker of the device and Kaito made a face, holding it away from his ear. "_Damatte_!" he yelled in his native tongue. "You're too fucking loud." He feigned a sigh and slid down, patting the spot next to him, beckoning Len forward. He closed the door behind him and walked over, sitting his ass down on the concrete of the roof. "Akaito, please, I don't want to argue about this." A momentary lapse of more silence. The guy must have calmed down. "_Ore ga?!_" Shit, now the man _next _to Len was mad.

Kaito's hand curled into a fist and his jaw clenched visibly and he began growling. "You think _I _was the one that wanted to come to the United States?! _Fusakenda, konno bakayaro!_" Len only watched helplessly as Kaito's rage began to fuel him, making him spit things he never though were even possible for this nice guy to say. After listening to 'Akaito' for a little longer, he went completely stiff, probably shocked. "_Hai..._" he muttered, and the blond heard the tone for the line going dead. Kaito buried his head in his hands shaking as he flipped his phone closed. Len, biting his lip, wrapped and arm around him. By now, the sun was high, and the morning was getting warmer. "_Arigatou_..." Kaito whispered.

"_D__ou__itashimashite_."

* * *

Kaito bounced up to Len later that day, a pamphlet folded in his hand and a big grin on his face. "_Ren_—"

"I'll go see the sunset with you," the blond quickly said, smiling brightly as he held the broom in his hands. He had cleaning duty again today, and he was less than enjoying it. But after finding out that Kaito had his own problems to deal with too, and that he had escaped from the grasps of his friends all the way on the other side of the country, the boy held a little but more sympathy and actually wanted to get to know this guy. "That is, if I'll manage to finish work on time."

Cerulean eyes widened as a wide grin unraveled itself on the man's face and his feet lifted off the ground in a jump, hands pumping in the air a few times. Len laughed a little at his excitement, and Kaito calmed down, smiling with a blush on his face. "Can I drop this off in your room?" he gestured to the paper in his hands.

"Sure, whatever."

Kaito turned to leave, but not before remembering one little detail about Len that he wanted to know. "How do you know Japanese, Len?"

The blond looked at Kaito, wide eyed, before blushing himself and going back to the task at hand. "My last name is Kagamine. I had a Japanese mother back in Virginia."

"Don't mind me asking, but, why are you all the way in Nevada if you're from the east coast?"

The boy shrugged. "Mama decided that it was a good idea to send me over here for a fucking 'change of scenery' or some shit like that. I dunno. All I'm aware of it that I have to stay here all summer."

"At least you made a friend," Kaito remarked happily, before walking away, waving over his shoulder. Len stared over at him as he walked away, his mind wrapping around what he just said. Was Kaito Len's friend? Were they close enough to be friends now? They had only known each other about a day, and Kaito was a little annoying, but they had agreed to hang out with each other. And there had been that close moment up on the roof of the building earlier. But was this all really enough to call the two of them friends?

Perhaps, for once, Len would give stargazing a chance. He awoke from his thoughts when Lily threw a wet towel at his face, mentioning that she had just used it to clean a toilet. "Oh, that's fucking _gross_!"

* * *

That night, when Lily had told him that his shift was finally fucking over, Len practically ran over to room 08, knocking softly on the door. The wooden slab opened and a head of blue hair popped out to look at Len, smiling broadly as he stepped out, camera in his hand, closing the door with his free one behind him. "Are you ready to go?"

Len nodded happily and started off to go to the roof. Kaito quickly caught up and at his side, started blabbering nonsense about this and that, and for once, Len paid careful attention to what someone had to say. He never said anything back, because he felt that he really didn't need to. All that really mattered was that the man next to him was letting loose a whole bunch of shit that the blond honestly wouldn't have cared about in any point of time. Eventually, he accidentally clicked his tongue against his teeth, making Kaito shut up. "No way."

The teenager looked at the blue-haired man skeptically. "No way what?"

"You have your tongue peirced!" Oh _god_, the man looked like a five year old getting closer to the counter at a candy shop. "But you're so young!"

"I'm sixteen."

"That's still _young_! Sunshine, when I got my first tat, I was twenty. And I _still _fucking cried!" He threw his hand up for emphasis and Len felt his eyes widen in shock.

"You _cried_!" he laughed. "You're such a fucking wuss! And don't fucking call me Sunshine."

"But your hair, it's so _blond_," Kaito explained, reaching up and running his fingers through the blond locks, making Len's face flush red. "It reminds me of a sun."

Len curled his lip and slapped Kaito's hand away, almost in disgust. He didn't exactly mind the gesture, but he thought that the man was just a little bit too close to him. "Anyway," Kaito continued, smiling brightly. "Can I see?"

"See what?" Len asked, crossing his arms. "My dick?"

"Well, maybe at another time," he winked, and Len took in a deep breath, trying not to blush, but failed miserably. The man just laughed. "I want to see your tongue."

The blond stared at his new friend for a short while. "You're seriously fucking weird." Even though he said that, he still stuck out his tongue, letting the silver barbell glint in the daylight. "Ah 'ave ooh an 'ih."

"Uh...what?"

Len closed his mouth, glaring. "I have more barbells than this. I change them every once in a while." He stuck the pink muscle back out, feeling his face heat up when Kaito's fingers touched it softly. This fucking prick really didn't understand what personal space was, now did he? But the blond couldn't bring himself to pull away. For some reason, he thought that if this was someone else, he would almost murder the person. No one was ever allowed to touch him. _Ever_.

Kaito pulled away suddenly with a sheepish grin and a faint blush on his cheeks. "Sorry, I kinda over stepped it right there. I won't do it again."

"At least not for a while?" Len blurted out, realizing what he said just a little too late and quickly taking a step back, covering his mouth. "That's—that's not—"

"Not what you meant to say? Or wanted to say? Something along those lines, I'm assuming." Why? Why did Kaito Shion, complete stranger to Len until just a few days ago, sound so damn _dejected_? "I understand, it's alright. Hey, look, the sun's setting." The tattooed man hastily turned away, but Len could spot the sadness reflecting in his eyes for a split second.

_If you're okay with it, don't look like you're about to cry, jackass._

* * *

They didn't talk the next day. Len changed his barbell to a black one, but Kaito never showed up. The blond had watched the sunset alone that evening, trying to grasp the situation. Apparently, Kaito harbored some hidden, romantic feelings for the boy. Len didn't find it all _too _weird; he was running down the homosexual terrain himself. The only problem?

Kaito was a twenty-one year old, while Len was still just sixteen. The age gap was just too big for normal standards. And Len was still a minor; there would be big trouble with the law.

Len placed his elbows on the railing and stared into the magenta sky. Kaito, well, he was pretty hot to say the least. One could only imagine how many people, especially girls, fell for him so fucking easily. Was Len one of those girls?

..."Fuck..." the blond grumbled, hiding his face into his arms. "I'm falling for him..."

-"_Ren_!"

"Holy shit, where's the fire?!" the blond sat up in his bed, almost headbutting the man hovering above him. He groaned and ran a hand through his messy bedhead, taking a few deep breaths. His one day off where he could sleep until nightfall was rudely interrupted—by the same man he was dreaming about for the past god knows how long.

Irony could be such a bitch sometimes.

"What is it, Kaito?" Len asked, trying to not sound like too much of a conceited jackass.

"I wanted to apologize for not being around too much yesterday." _You weren't around at _all. "I've just had a lot on my mind lately."

"Makes two of us," the blond agreed, bringing his legs up to wrap his arms around them.

"Oh?" Kaito glanced at him, though briefly. "What are you thinking oh so hard about? Wouldn't want to hurt that pretty little head of yours."

"That. That right there." Len closed his eyes. "You always say things like that. It makes me wonder why."

"Do you want me to stop?" Usually bubbly Kaito suddenly went all serious.

"No! Absolutely not!" the boy cried, gripping the sheets as though his life depended on it. "I just... no one has ever said anything like that to me before. It's..." he bit his lip and crawled out of bed, away from Kaito.

"It's...?" Kaito urged.

Len sat down at his desk and looked at the reflection of the blue-haired man in his mirror. "It's making me fall for you. I like you. A lot more than I should like a friend. And don't start teasing me about it, or I swear, I will chop your balls off and feed them to sharks."

"I didn't even think you would like me, Len," Kaito began, wincing slightly at the younger boy's comment, and stared down at his hands. "I thought that you were much too cute when I first met you, but I was afraid since I'm always fucking traveling. Until you can be sure that you like me, I'll wait for you." He stood up, ready to leave, and the blond reached for his box full of piercings. "Now I'll just—"

Len grabbed his hand and smiled when Kaito turned around. "Pick one," he said, taking the lid off the box.

A rainbow of colors, neons, metallics, and designs stared the older man in the face. Kaito pointed to one and Len grabbed it, reaching into his mouth to take the black one out. "'Arashin'."

Kaito cleared his throat.

Len giggled. "Stargazing," he repeated slowly. "You wanna?"

"Tonight?"

"No, in the middle of fucking winter."

"That can work too." They both laughed.

* * *

That night, Len found himself laying next to his friend, fingers lazily laced together, shoulders touching, and he was learning about the stars that littered the dark night sky. In a small town like this, it was the most beautiful sight, compared to the busy place he lived in back in Richmond. And Kaito knew exactly what he was talking about, which found Len listening more than he usually did.

"Kaito?" the man next to him hummed in response. "How many tattoos do you have?"

"A lot. They're all over the place too. You've seen the ones on my back, correct?"

Len nodded. "Only barely," he added quickly.

The blue haired man stood and dugo out a flashlight out of his cargo pants pocket. He tossed it over to the blond and began peeling his shirt off, leaving Len completely entranced by the way his stomach muscles could move. The shirt fluttered to the ground next to Len and Kaito spread his arms wide. "Lo and behold, Sunshine."

Len pouted and picked himself up, turning the light in his hand on, revealing the body that was standing in front of him.

God, even _without _all the artwork splayed across his skin, Kaito Shion was seriously a beautiful fucking creature.

On his upper right arm there was a small ice cream cone. "For my love of _aisu_," he explained as Len flashed it with his light. Going further down the limb was the word 'Meltdown'. "A song I wrote with a couple of friends way back when." On the other arm there was a blue diamond. "_Ninbame arisu wa otonashiku, utao utaotte fushigi no kuni_." In the middle of his back there lay a flame encased in ice. "Icefire, as I like to call it." Lower right, just above the hipbone, were a few musical notes. "I play guitar and sing."

One stuck out, quite literally, and barely managed to hide under the hem of his shorts, right on his lower stomach. Len carefully reached out and pulled the fabric down, blushing when the word 'Sunshine' met his gaze. The skin still seemed a bit red and irritated. "That one I got recently. The night I met you I went into town and sought an artist."

Len plucked one hair from the little trail leading further down, laughing softly when Kaito sucked his stomach in with a wince. He looked at the small follicle carefully. "You're a natural brunet, Starlight?"

Said person scoffed. "Did you honestly think I naturally had _blue hair_?! What planet do you come from?!"

"Planet Len." the boy laughed and Kaito did the same to him, pulling the shorts down just a bit, but gasped under his breath. "_Please_ don't tell me you shave."

"I don't. Naturally hairless." Why was Len so fucking _calm _around him? The blue haired man was practically _naked _in front of him. Okay, so _maybe _they held hands, but that didn't mean that they were going out! Well, they _did _confess...

Len stifled a groan.

_What were they_?

* * *

The days slowly morphed into a week, which slowly blended themselves into a full month, leaving Kaito reduced to nothing but a complete puddle of paranoid and holy-shit-what-the-fuck-do-I-do-with-myself. He had never stayed this long in one place after beginning his road trip. But he couldn't just up and leave yet. He and Len were just getting to have a very nice time around each other! They've watched the sunset and stars every single night that Len didn't man the stupid reception desk (even then, Kaito sat in a chair in the corner behind Len and just aimlessly chatted). Kaito practically tore his head open when he heard the door slowly creak open and Len stuck is head into the room. "Hey, can I talk to you really fast?" Without an answer, he slipped inside, and jumped on the bed. "I want you to have sex with me," he blurted out.

A momentary lapse of silence passed in which Kaito tried to regain his breath, train of thought—or whatever was left of it—and his voice. "Excuse me?"

"Please?"

Something in Kaito snapped as he grabbed the teenager by the shoulders and kissed him roughly. There was no doubt in his mind that this kid was a virgin, seeing as he barely knew anything about how to kiss properly. But when Kaito's tongue flicked against the boy's bottom lip, the response was almost instant.

Kaito had never kissed anyone with a tongue ring before. But now he knew; it felt fucking _incredible_.

A hand slipped up the boy's shirt to tweak at an erect nipple, making the blond emit a noise that even _he _didn't know he could make. Shirts quickly flew off and Kaito pressed himself flush against Len, letting the teen feel the arousal that he had caused. "You better be sure about this, Sunshine," Kaito muttered, pulling down Len's black basketball shorts.

"Of course I'm fucking sure," Len replied, breathlessly and with a cracking voice. "Fuck me hard into the mattress, Starlight."

The blue haired man chuckled. "You really shouldn't have said that." His fingers dove under the waistband of his friend's boxers, and the boy underneath him cried out in absolute pleasure.

* * *

The air was still heavy with lust, even after a good three rounds of hardcore and amazing sex, with the pair happily snuggled under the covers, Kaito running his fingers though Len's loose hair lovingly. "I think...we should just be friends," the blond suddenly said, making Kaito freeze.

"What?" he managed to choke out. "After _this_? I don't—"

"I just think that's a good idea. Sorry if I broke your heart," he said, getting up and throwing his clothes on, running out of the room. "Goodbye, Kaito." And he left, running halfway down his hallway in the left wing, before stopping.

He wanted to give Kaito one of his rings, how could he forget in all that stupid after-sex confusion? He ran to his room, dug out his key, dropped it, and managed to open his door, making it slam against the wall. His entire lower backside was seriously bothering him, but he wasn't about to let anything stop him. He tripped over a suitcase and knocked down his jewelry box, grabbing the silver barbell with trembling hands. He made his way back to the main hall and down to Kaito's room.

He knocked and opened the door, surprised to see the room completely barren. Kaito's ever prominent black backpack wasn't even there. He ran outside and looked around the almost empty parking lot. That old car-piece-of-shit-camaro of his wasn't there anymore.

Len felt his knees buckle from under him, and he took out his cell phone. The dreaded message that he didn't bother hiding from display flashed at him.

'**Len, it's really quiet without you. We're sent tickets for you to fly back in two days, see you soon. -Mom**'

He couldn't even tell the guy he loved that he was probably never going to see him again.

* * *

Kaito gulped. Days had passed since he had left Tonopah, and he was currently standing in front of his old apartment in New Hampshire, where he could hear laughs emitting from inside. He drew in a breath and knocked three times, in a funky little rhythm, made when they were still in Japan.

The laughter died down and a redhead appeared at the door, a scowl on his face. "Hello, Kaito."

"How are ya?" As a response, Kaito got a punch to the face. "_Iitte... _okay, I deserved that."

"Where the fuck were you this whole time?!" Akaito shouted, clenching his fists, watching Kaito slowly stand up, grabbing a hold of the door frame. "Tell me, bitch!"

"I was in Nevada for the past month. Other than that, I've been around the US." Akaito calmed down when he noticed his younger brother's sad face. "I kinda got rejected and came back here. You still up for the band?"

The redhead smiled softly and moved out of the way. "Meiko, Gakupo, I think we can start our band officially. Kaito's back!"

The other two smiled and toasted a couple beers, taking a couple chugs. "First things first," Kaito said, taking out a small piece of paper, "can I borrow your phone?"

His brother nodded, and Kaito excused himself and stepped into the kitchen. He took the receiver and dialed the number on the paper in his hand. After two rings, a female voice answered. "_Hello, 'Mirror Motel' reception desk, how may I help you?_" It reminded him of Len.

"Hello, um...is—is Len there?"

"He left a few days ago, may I ask who's asking?"

Kaito felt himself shake a little as he answered, "Kaito Shion. I was his friend. I stayed there a couple days ago. I have a request, if you don't mind..."

* * *

Months passed and Len had started school again, happily hanging out with a whole bunch of friends. He had recently gotten more money from his mother as an apology and got himself a tattoo. But he refused to hide that and showed her, saying that it reminded him of someone that he loved when he was at Mirror Motel. Len also showed her his tongue ring, and apologized in full Japanese style with a bow and everything.

One day, while he was just sitting around in his room, his mother called for him from downstairs. He crawled out and noticed she had a smile on her face and something in her hand. "You got a postcard!" she said happily. Len raised an eyebrow and took the small card from his mother's hand. On the front said 'Greetings from Denver, Colorado!" but when he turned around, it didn't even bother to say who had sent it.

The only thing written on it was his name. Who could have sent this to him? The last time he checked, he didn't have any family in fucking Colorado. He pouted and looked up at his mom, clicking his tongue. "Can you buy me a big map of the US?"

His mother raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to get a map?"

Len smiled down at the postcard and ran his thumb over one of the buildings on the picture. "I think I'll need it."

* * *

The next two months, Len got postcards from Sacramento, California, Carson City, Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada (in which the sender wrote that he or she hated the place), Salem, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington. Each one was respectively had been pinned onto the map, but the only problem was that Len still couldn't figure out who this person was. Obviously, it was one person, because other than the Las Vegas card, nothing had been written except for his entire name.

During the long nights, Len would sit at his desk and just stare at the map, wondering from where he would get his next piece of mail. And what could the person possibly write on it?

Rin hadn't bothered to question as to why all of a sudden her brother was just randomly getting a whole shit-ton of mail. Sure, she was probably jealous, but what did it honestly matter to her if even Len didn't know who was sending it? But even he had a secret that he kept from the rest of his small family.

He had a serious deep-gut feeling that it was Kaito that was sending them. But he couldn't be sure.

* * *

_The Vocaloids_ had an amazing start of their tour a few months ago. The four members sang both English and Japanese songs, but because of their proud heritage, they were mostly foreign. Gackupo took upon the drums, Meiko played the keyboard, Akaito strummed on the bass guitar and Kaito took place as the lead singer and guitarist. Their tour started on the west coast of the United States and were going all over.

At every city they performed in, Kaito would go to the nearest store, bought a postcard, wrote his friend's—ex-boyfriend, lover, fuck buddy? What _was _he?—name on and nothing else (with the exception of Las Vegas because he really fucking _hated _that city), and sent it without a return address because he didn't have a solid place to stay.

Meiko walked up to him and smacked his shoulder lightly. "Hey, boss, you okay?"

"Aw, baby," he joked, "you care?" He leaned his head against her shoulder. "How sweet." Kaito kissed her cheek and she pushed him away.

"Fag, what the fuck?" Despite her harsh words, she giggled and pinched his cheek. "Are you thinking about your little boytoy?"

He looked away. That was enough to tell the brunette that it was true. "Kaito, darling, seriously," she put a hand on her hip. "You can't spend your fucking carreer thinking about that kid. It's been _months._ It's almost February."

"And I wanna send something on Valentine's. In fact," he smiled broadly. "I might call him."

"He probably hates you," Akaito walked in and bonked him over the head. "You both broke each other's hearts."

"_He _broke _mine_," Kaito fought back. "We had sex and then he fucking told me that he wanted to be friends. _And then left_."

"But then _you _left, _baka_. What if he tried to find you and apologize for what he did?"

Kaito shrugged, looking out into the distant sky from behind the glass. Sighing, he stepped away and into the bathroom. Yeah, he'd probably call around Valentine's Day.

* * *

On February fourteenth, a Saturday, Len Kagamine, aged seventeen, woke up, glared at the alarm clock which blared that it was only four fifty-five in the morning, and reached for his cell phone. The screen display showed an unknown number, but he tapped 'answer' and held it close to his face, muttering out a faint "hello?" to whoever decided that it was a good fucking idea to wake him up this early on a day he didn't need to go to school. Thank _god _it was fucking Saturday.

"_Ren_?"

There was only one person other than his mother that called him that. Feeling his breath catch in his throat, he quickly glanced at the map that was littered with postcards, all with his name in sloppy-ass handwriting that made his heart skip. Involuntary tears spilled out of his eyes.

"I kept them!" he blurted out, not caring if his mother heard him or not. His grip on the phone tightened. "I kept every fucking one of the postcards you sent me!"

A short and snarky chuckle; just the same as he remembered it to be. "_Isn't that extreme_?"

"No, it's not." Len pawed at his eyes, trying to make them stop crying, but it wouldn't work. "I fucking _miss _you, okay? A lot more than you think."

"_Len, I'm not coming to see you for a while, you know that. It's bad to get attached to a celebrity._"

"Ever since I found out that you've been sending postcards," he sniffled, "I've known that. But I don't give a particular shit right now. I just want to hold you and tell you that I love you."

"_You can't mean that_."

"The reason I did what I did back then was because I was afraid of telling you that my mother wanted me back home." Why? Why in the world was he spilling his guts out to this man over the phone? "I meant to go back and give you one of my barbells, but then you left like your life depended on it."

"_Anyone who had their heart broken like that would have done the same thing._" How did the man sound so composed? Maybe it was his thick accent that was coating the nervousness Len was sure would be there. "_Changing the subject_—_Akaito, don't fucking touch me, you faggot_—_are you listening to any of our songs?"_

The blond smiled, and leaned back against the headboard, reaching for his pillow. "I bought all your CDs so far. When and if I get a car, it'll look like yours; jam-packed with disks and other junk."

"_Hey, Kara is a fucking majesty, you here me? And_—_my fucking Jesus, Aka, if you don't shut the fuck up_—_speaking of cars, when are you getting one?_"

"Sometime in spring." Len brought his knees up and placed the pillow on top, resting his head on it. He noticed his door open just a crack and a little blond head peeked in. He smiled softly and gestured her over. "I hope to go on a road trip like you did."

"_No, you don't._" Rin hopped on the bed and snuggled close to Len's side, humming softly as she drifted back off into sleep. "_What was that?_"

"My sister," the younger boy replied, smoothing his fingers through her hair. "She decided to visit my room. At _five _in the _morning _by the way."

"_Hey, it was either this or no call._"

"I'll stop complaining."

"_Good_—_Akaito!" _Len held the phone away from his ear at his boyfriend's yell. "_Jeez, Len, darling, I have to go. My brother's being an asshole. I'll send you more postcards."_

"Okay," Len replied with a soft smile.

"_Oh, and one more thing._" Len's head perked up. "_I love you._"

"I love you, too."

* * *

For two months after that call, Len got no mail. At first, he felt a little cheated, but then looking back on the news he decided to check every day, _The Vocaloids _were getting bigger and bigger as time went on. Perhaps Kaito just had no time to send anything, which seemed like the reasonable explanation.

And then on April fifteenth, sitting idly in his mailbox, were two tickets taped to a piece of folded paper. Tickets to _The Vocaloids_' concert in Richmond, Virginia. It was scheduled for April twentieth (thank whatever great and powerful entity up there that the tickets came on time) and Len ran to his mother to show her the incredible present. As usual, the paper had his name and address on it, but it also had a small heart on it and the word 'Sunshine' written in elegant calligraphy, just like Kaito's tattoo was.

His mother, however, reminded Len that Kaito was probably a man with a girlfriend now, seeing as the two hadn't had any type of contact; written or by phone.

So on April fifteenth, when the night sky was beautifully clear, coated with stars and constellations and the air was getting warmer, Len Kagamine stayed home while Gumi and Oliver went to the concert in his and his sister's stead.

* * *

A year later, right after Len had turned eighteen, he checked the mailbox for the first time in months. Dressed only in a long pair of pajama pants, he walked outside. Letters stopped coming after he missed the concert the first time, and he soon gave up hope. Kaito—was that even the guy's _name_? Fuck if he could remember—hadn't called or sent anything in a whole three hundred sixty-five day plus period.

So when he opened the flap, he was surprised to see a postcard sitting there, his name written on it and nothing else. Turning it over, he noticed the strange scenery. It looked...a lot like _his _neighborhood. The placement of the cars and the trees. And—wait a minute. That house right in the middle...it looked like his! In fact, it _was _his! Blue eyes widened as he looked around. Who could have taken this photo? Far off down the street, he noticed a silver camaro, and from where he was standing, it was probably playing some kind of j-pop music.

What stood out the most was the figure leaning against the door of the car. It wasn't the expensive clothes, or the pale skin, or the obvious tattoos. It was the _hair_.

A beautiful electric shade of cerulean.

The card fluttered down to the ground as Len sprinted down the sidewalk, right into the awaiting arms of his lover, who held him tighter than he expected. "Nice tattoo," he commented with a smirk.

Trying to catch his breath, Len patted his stomach. "It's just your name."

"My name's Kaito Shion, Sunshine. Not Starlight."

The blond laughed and went on his toes to peck the taller man. "But your _my _Starlight."

* * *

**WOOT WOOT. Wow writing one-shots makes me incredibly sad. BECAUSE THEY TAKE FUCKING FOREVER.**

**But yay! I finished it! Please review?**

**ArAndAr?**


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